|
|
Library > Fact Sheets > National Air and Space Intelligence Center
NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE INTELLIGENCE CENTER
The National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) is the source of air and space intelligence for the Department of Defense (DoD) and produces integrated, predictive air, space and specialized intelligence to enable military operations, force modernization and policymaking.
NASIC is a global intelligence enterprise which fulfills the needs of today's and tomorrow's warfighter, aids in shaping national and defense policy and guides the development of future weapons systems. NASIC products and services play a key role in ensuring that United States forces avoid technological surprise and can counter existing and evolving foreign air and space threats.
MISSION
The all-source analysts at NASIC provide integrated assessments and tailored intelligence products and services that satisfy a wide range of customer needs, regardless of complexity. NASIC provides intelligence directly to operational military units, national and DoD decisionmakers and the research and acquisition community, which develops and sustains US air and space capabilities. The combat effectiveness and survivability of advanced weapons and support systems, both in the field and in development, depend on the accuracy of NASIC intelligence. NASIC assessments are an important factor in shaping national security and US defense policies. NASIC personnel also support weapons treaty negotiations and verification as the DoD experts on foreign air and space capabilities. The National Air and Space Intelligence Center develops its products by analyzing all sources of information and intelligence data available to the US Intelligence Community to determine foreign air and space capabilities, as well as weapon system performance, vulnerabilities, employment, and proliferation. Center responsibilities cover the full range of air and space systems and technologies, including aircraft; ballistic missiles with a range greater than 1,000 kilometers; space systems; radars; electronic and electro-optic countermeasures; command, control, communications, and information systems; and integrated air defense systems.
In addition to its all-source intelligence analysis responsibilities, NASIC serves as the national and DoD executive agent for the processing, exploitation, analysis, integration, and dissemination of measurement and signature intelligence (MASINT) data collected from radar, electro-optical, and infrared technical sensors. NASIC prepares spectral, spatial, and temporal signatures of threat targets in support of air and space forces, develops analytical tools for technical analysis and provides these techniques for the fusion of MASINT data in the operational environment. The Center serves as an exploitation agency for both signals intelligence (SIGINT) and imagery intelligence (IMINT) and develops machine translation tools for use throughout the DoD. The Center also has a foreign materiel exploitation (FME) capability that allows the nation's top analysts and technicians to fully study foreign weapon systems in a state-of-the-art facility. Sophisticated data processing, advanced engineering techniques, dynamic modeling and simulation tools and integration with the broader US Intelligence Community enable NASIC analysts, technicians, scientists and engineers to execute the Center's mission.
PERSONNEL/ ORGANIZATION
Approximately 2,700 military, civilian, reserve, guard and contract personnel are assigned to the National Air and Space Intelligence Center. The National Air and Space Intelligence Center is made up of four groups and three directorates:
- AIR AND CYBERSPACE ANALYSIS GROUP - (AC)
Produces integrated intelligence defining present and future threat air and air defense systems to enable military operations, force modernization and policymaking. The group has a squadron at Lackland AFB, Texas that provides critical foreign network intelligence.
- GLOBAL THREAT ANALYSIS GROUP - (GT)
Delivers predictive intelligence on global integrated capabilities across the air, space and information domains. Anticipates and responds to requirements of operational planners, acquisition programs and policy-makers with tailored and relevant products.
- DATA ANALYSIS GROUP - (DA)
Acquires intelligence data and information on foreign weapon systems, subsystems, technologies and forces. Processes, analyzes and integrates the data into products and services required to support NASIC all-source analysis and various external clients.
- SPACE AND MISSILES ANALYSIS GROUP - (SM)
Produces ~90 percent of the nation's integrated and predictive, space, counterspace and ballistic missile all-source scientific and technical intelligence to enable military operations, force modernization and policymaking decisions.
- COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION DIRECTORATE - (SC)
Designs, implements, operates and maintains the technical production infrastructure necessary to support the NASIC mission, to include technical computing services, internal and external communications, research and development (R&D) related to production systems, production support for NASIC's intelligence products and the Information Management program.
- MISSION SUPPORT DIRECTORATE - (MS)
Manages the design, development, installation and modification of mission facilities and systems. Provides advanced planning for and management of facility and engineering projects. Support functions, including logistics, personnel resources, training, inspections and NASIC contracting policy and oversight.
- PLANS AND POLICIES DIRECTORATE - (XP)
Oversees NASIC's production operations and management of crisis response, contingencies, Air and Space Expeditionary Forces (AEF) deployments and exercise participation. Programs, advocates and defends the Center's resources and missions for all out-year funding programs.
HISTORY
NASIC traces its heritage back to 1917 at McCook Field in Dayton, Ohio. The Foreign Technology Division (FTD) marked the beginning of NASIC history in 1961. The Air Force redesignated the unit as the National Air Intelligence Center (NAIC) in October 1993 and the National Air and Space Intelligence Center in February 2003. NASIC unitized into groups and squadrons on 15 April 2008.
(Current as of 23 Jun 2008)
Point of Contact
NASIC Public Affairs
(937) 257-2345
|  |
|
|
|
|
Printable Fact Sheet